(KLZA)-- It costs a little more now to make a purchase in Pawnee City.

Saturday an additional half-cent sales tax was added on to the previous one-and-a-half percent sales tax. The additional tax was approved by Pawnee City voters last year to help pay for a major street improvement project.

Originally, the street re-surfacing project was proposed to cover 36 blocks with a price tag in the neighborhood of $2.3-million. JEO Engineers are continuing to design the project, but no final plan has been approved. If the project were to grow to include around 50 blocks, the price could increase to the $4-million range.

Half the cost of the street project will be  covered by a blanket assessment to property owners throughout the entire community. A USDA Loan will be used to pay for the rest of the cost.  Highway allocation funds and the additional half-cent sales tax will be used to make the loan payments. 

City Clerk Tammy Stephens tells MSC News, she feels that due to the scope of the project, it could be 2018 before any street improvements are made. At the earliest she expects bids could be let late this year, with the work to begin in 2018. 

Meetings were held to discuss the street project prior to the sales tax ballot issue. There is a possibility more meetings could be held before the final plan is approved by the City Council.